Department for Transport

Electric Scooters: Hire Services

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what checks are undertaken in e-scooter rental trials to ensure that those who use the e-scooters (1) hold the appropriate driving licence, and (2) are at least 16 years old.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Users are required to scan their driving licence via the operator’s app in order to verify their eligibility to ride an e-scooter. In some cases this is done via facial-recognition technology where the user must scan their driving licence and then take a clear photo of themselves on the operator’s app. This allows the operator to verify that the user is using a valid driving licence and is at least 16 years old. Some operators use manual verification of driving licences before allowing users to rent an e-scooter.Additionally, the police have powers to issue Fixed Penalty Notices of £100 and seize e-scooters, if an individual is found to be driving without a driving licence or is under the age of 16.As part of its stakeholder engagement, the Department is in continuous contact with representatives of the motor insurance industry and as part of that, does discuss e-scooters to understand their views.Ministers are currently considering options for how best to regulate e-scooters, including whether to require insurance and, if so, what kind.

Electric Scooters: Insurance

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the UK insurance sector regarding insurance cover for the users of e-scooters.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: As part of The Future of Transport Regulatory Review, the Department is reviewing regulations for micromobility vehicles, including e-scooters. Further conversations will be held as more evidence from e-scooter trials and wider sources is collected. These will feed into considerations for how best to regulate e-scooters, including whether to require insurance and, if so, what kind.

Electric Scooters: Insurance

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce compulsory insurance for e-scooters; and if so, how that measure would be enforced.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Users are required to scan their driving licence via the operator’s app in order to verify their eligibility to ride an e-scooter. In some cases this is done via facial-recognition technology where the user must scan their driving licence and then take a clear photo of themselves on the operator’s app. This allows the operator to verify that the user is using a valid driving licence and is at least 16 years old. Some operators use manual verification of driving licences before allowing users to rent an e-scooter.Additionally, the police have powers to issue Fixed Penalty Notices of £100 and seize e-scooters, if an individual is found to be driving without a driving licence or is under the age of 16.As part of its stakeholder engagement, the Department is in continuous contact with representatives of the motor insurance industry and as part of that, does discuss e-scooters to understand their views.Ministers are currently considering options for how best to regulate e-scooters, including whether to require insurance and, if so, what kind.

Electric Scooters: Hire Services

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what due diligence they have done on the sustainability claims of e-scooter providers currently operating in pilot schemes.

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the requirementsfor e-scooter providers participating in the current trials regarding their carbon footprint.

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether users of e-scooters were primarily travelling by (1) car, or (2) public transport, prior to the introduction of e-scooters.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The detailed design of the e-scooter trials, including any environmental requirements, are determined by the relevant local authority. Operators are increasingly using e-vehicles and e-cargo bikes to service and maintain their fleets to reduce negative impacts.The Department for Transport has in place a national monitoring and evaluation programme for the e-scooter trials, commissioned to Arup in partnership with NatCen. As part of this evaluation, we are collecting evidence on mode shift including from car and public transport. Findings from the evaluation will be published later in the year.

Cycling: Accidents

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many bicycle (1) accidents, and (2) deaths, were recorded for each of the last five years.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The number of 1) accidents involving pedal cycles and 2) pedal cyclist fatalities in reported personal injury road accidents in Great Britain for the last five years for which data is available are shown in the table.YearAccidents involving at least one pedal cyclePedal cyclist fatalities201618,743102201718,651101201817,82099201917,148100202016,455141

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Equal Pay: Ethnic Groups

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting.

Lord Callanan: We are considering the findings of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities independent report, which included recommendations on ethnicity pay reporting, alongside feedback to our consultation on this issue and the recent Women and Equalities Select Committee Report. We will set out our approach in due course.

Department of Health and Social Care

Protective Clothing: China

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many pieces of Personal Protective Equipment were procured from China since January 2020.

Lord Kamall: The Department ordered 36.9 billion items of personal protective equipment, with 24.1 billion items where China is recorded as the country of origin.

Unispace Global

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to investigate Unispace Global Limited for potentially failing to report the income resulting from the personal protection equipment contracts recorded in the Government’s financial statements for the year to 31 December 2020 and filed at Companies House on 30 September 2021.

Lord Kamall: Investigations called for are outside the remit of the Department. Matters concerning the accuracy of filed financial accounts are a matter for Companies House.

Coronavirus: Drugs

Baroness Rawlings: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Kamall on 31 January (HL Deb cols 621–3), whether the antiviral pills molnupiravir and Paxlovid will be available for free on the National Health Service; and if not, how people will be able to get hold of them.

Lord Kamall: Molnupiravir and PF-07321332+ritonavir (co-packaged as Paxlovid) are currently available for eligible National Health Service patients through COVID Medicines Delivery Units (CMDUs). Eligible patients who receive a positive COVID-19 test result will be contacted by a clinician from a CMDU to discuss what treatments could be suitable for them.For those patients not already exempt from prescription charges, we have announced that antiviral medicines prescribed via CMDUs will be supplied free of charge until 31 March 2022. This is supported by Regulation 13 of The National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Regulations 2015.

Health and Care Bill

Lord Shipley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how the reforms in the Health and Care Bill will meet the needs of Inclusion Health populations.

Lord Kamall: The Health and Care Bill proposes integrated care boards and requires the creation of integrated care partnerships (ICPs) in each local system area. ICPs will bring together the National Health Service, local authorities and wider representatives, as appropriate to address the health, public health and social care needs of people in their areas. We expect that this would include addressing the needs of inclusion health groups. This and other measures contained in the Bill will enable more integrated care for patients and service users, including inclusion health groups.

Coronavirus: China

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent findings by scientistsatEotvos Lorand University and the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hungary that the COVID-19 outbreak may have originated in alaboratory in Wuhan, China.

Lord Kamall: The Department has not made an assessment. The United Kingdom supports a timely, transparent, evidence-based, and expert-led study into the origins of COVID-19.

Hospital Wards: Gender

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, intheirreview of single-sex wards, NHS England will consult women’s groups.

Lord Kamall: A wide range of stakeholders are being consulted, including women’s groups.

DNACPR Decisions

Lord Austin of Dudley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 31 January (HL5607), how they ensure that there is a consistent approach at different hospitals and by different clinicians in cases where do not resuscitate notices are issued when a patient and their family have said they do not agree to such an order.

Lord Austin of Dudley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 31 January (HL5607), what measures are in place to ensure patients and their families are informed of their right to ask for a second opinion and a review of decisions to impose do not resuscitate notices with which they do not agree

Lord Austin of Dudley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 31 January (HL5607), how many do not resuscitate notices have been issued when a patient and their family have said they do not agree to such an order.

Lord Austin of Dudley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 31 January (HL5607), how many do not resuscitate notices have been issued at each hospital when a patient and their family have said they do not agree to such an order

Lord Austin of Dudley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 31 January (HL5607), how many do not resuscitate notices proposed by clinicians have not been subsequently imposed as a result of consulting a patient or their family who said they do not agree to such an order.

Lord Austin of Dudley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Kamall on 31 January (HL5607), whether they collect comparative data showing the proportion of do not resuscitate notices that have been issued when a patient and their family have said they do not agree to such an order in comparison to the number of patients the hospital has admitted

Lord Kamall: The Department established a Ministerial Oversight Group to ensure consistent adherence to guidance on how Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPRs) are used. The National Health Service provides online guidance and information for the public on DNACPR decisions, including information on asking for a second opinion or a review and if there are concerns about, or disagreement with, a DNACPR form in a patient’s or family member’s medical records. The Care Quality Commission continues to ensure providers understand their responsibilities if allegations of inappropriate application of DNACPR decisions are brought to their attention, as well as raising cases with the relevant bodies including the General Medical Council as appropriate.The Department does not record how many DNACPR decisions are in place or whether there is agreement with those decisions, nor do we collect comparative data showing the proportion of DNACPR decisions in comparison to hospital admissions.

Fampridine

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government why Fampridine is being banned for new patients but is permitted to continue being prescribed for existing patients.

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government why Fampridine is authorised for general NHS use in (1) Scotland, and (2) Wales, but is not permitted for new patients in England.

Lord Kamall: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service in England on best practice. NICE evaluated the clinical and cost effectiveness of fampridine for use in the management of multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2014 but was unable to recommend it for routine use. NICE is currently updating its clinical guideline on MS and recently consulted on draft guidance. However, it was unable to recommend fampridine to treat mobility problems in people with MS. The independent guideline committee acknowledged that while it is a clinically effective treatment for some patients, at its current price it is not cost effective for the NHS.NICE will carefully consider comments from stakeholders in finalising its recommendations. It is for local NHS commissioners to make funding decisions on the use of fampridine taking account of NICE’s guidance. The availability of treatments in Scotland and Wales is a matter for the devolved administrations.

Department for Education

Educational Institutions: Surveillance

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use in schools, colleges and universities of Chinese-made surveillance cameras made by companies which are currently subject to US sanctions and investment bans.

Baroness Barran: Educational settings including schools, colleges and universities have delegated budget responsibility and can procure surveillance, security and CCTV systems autonomously.For the procurement, sourcing and installation of surveillance, security and CCTV systems, the Department for Education will recommend and default to specification that includes as a minimum High Definition 1080P systems, compliant to BS EN 50132-7:2012 or BS EN 62676-4:2015.The Department for Education does not mandate (or exclude) a country of origin for products and have made no assessments on the use of any specific products or vendors. Any decision regarding specific exclusion would be made at a broader cross-government level, with the Department for Education following that advice and communicating to schools via standard guidance and regular communications. In January, the government announced the provision of new guidance and support for UK public sector bodies, which will include schools, to exclude suppliers where there is sufficient evidence of human rights violations in any of their supply chains.The Department for Education utilises existing guidance provided via the National Cyber Security Centre and will reiterate this to the Education sector via our scheduled communications to ensure schools remain aware and vigilant. More information can be found here: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/consumers-urged-secure-internet-connected-cameras and here: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/connected-places-security-principles/about-the-principles.

Coronavirus Workforce Fund for Schools

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the criteria for schools accessing the COVID-19 workforce fund; how many schools applied; and of those schools, what was the average amount of funding received.

Baroness Barran: To claim to the COVID-19 workforce fund, schools need to meet the pre-requisite, financial reserves and absence criteria set out in the guidance for schools, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-workforce-fund-for-schools.We received claims to the 2020 COVID-19 workforce fund from 974 schools, and made payments to 902 schools. All eligible schools were paid, and school level data on payments made to schools is published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-data-on-funding-claims-by-institutions-2020-to-2021. The average amount of funding received was £6,190. The claims window for the current round of the COVID-19 workforce fund, which covers absences from 22 November 2021 until 18 February 2022, will open in the spring.

Universities: Admissions

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the FE Week article 'Confused and frustrated: Most universities reject first cohort of T Level students', published on 14 January, what steps they are taking to ensure that T Level qualifications are accepted by universities, both this year and in future years.

Baroness Barran: We have undertaken an extensive programme of activities to encourage universities to consider the suitability of T Levels for entry to higher education (HE). As well as agreeing the allocation of UCAS tariff points, we have delivered numerous briefings to universities, collectively and individually, to explain the benefits of the programme and to answer their questions. We have also made available materials that will allow them to compare the content of T Levels with other established qualifications, such as A levels. We recently published a list of HE providers that will accept T Levels, which currently includes 74 universities and we expect this to continue to grow.However, universities are autonomous institutions that set their own entry requirements. At this stage, their decisions are likely to be based on the first three T Level subjects, which will necessarily restrict the institutions and courses for which a T Level is suitable. As the remaining T Levels are rolled out, we will continue with our targeted engagement until all HE providers have had the opportunity to make an informed decision about the suitability of T Levels for their institution.

Vocational Education

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent finding by the Association of Accounting Technicians that only 29 per cent of 18 to 24 year olds heard about alternatives to degrees while they were at school; and what steps they are taking to encourage schools to promote such alternatives.

Baroness Barran: To ensure that young people consider technical options alongside the academic pathway, the government introduced a provider access law in January 2018. This requires all maintained schools and academies to publish a policy statement setting out opportunities for providers of technical education, including apprenticeships, to access year 8-13 pupils, and to make sure that the statement is followed. Through the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, we are aiming to strengthen the law and create a clear minimum legal requirement for provider encounters.The government’s careers statutory guidance sets out that all schools and colleges should use the internationally recognised Gatsby Benchmarks to help meet their legal duties and improve their careers provision. In addition to encounters with further and higher education, the Gatsby Benchmarks define other elements of an excellent careers programme, including encounters with employers, experiences of workplaces and personal guidance.To support this, we are investing £29.6 million to help schools and colleges to improve their careers programmes for young people. This includes £28 million for The Careers and Enterprise Company to deliver support to schools and colleges to implement the Gatsby Benchmarks, including Careers Hubs and Careers Leader training. Young people aged 13 to 18 are able to access ongoing in-depth information, advice and guidance from the National Careers Service via local telephone-based advisers or the National Careers Service website.Increasing exposure to technical options is vital so that young people can make fully informed choices about their future. New analysis found that uptake of apprenticeships was 16% higher in the schools that provided information on apprenticeships to most or all of their students compared with the schools that provided information to a small minority.

Pre-school Education: Finance

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the 2021 Spending Review, by how much funding for early years entitlement schemes will increase for (1) 2022–23, (2) 2023–24, and (3) 2024–25.

Baroness Barran: In the Spending Review 2021 and the written ministerial statement of 25 November 2021, the department stated that investments in the upcoming financial years of 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 will be made individually and proportionately to the current financial year 2021-22. Investments will reflect anticipated cost pressures such as inflation, and changes in the number of children in these schemes as forecast at the time of the Spending Review.For the financial year 2022-23, the government is increasing the hourly funding rates for all local authorities by 21p an hour for the two-year-old entitlement and, for most areas, by 17p an hour for the three and four-year-old entitlements.Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) forecasts a decrease in the number of children in these entitlement schemes across the financial year 2022-23. The ONS projects a decrease in the 0 to 4-year-old population of around 5% from mid-2022 to mid-2025. Consideration of this information can provide an accurate picture of what the funding settlement entails.Announcement of the local authorities’ early years funding rates for the 2023-24 financial year will be made in autumn 2022, and in the following autumn for the financial year 2024-25, ahead of local authorities commencing business planning rounds for these financial years.

Universities: Staff

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage universities to increase the numbers of black staff to reflect the diversity of students.

Baroness Barran: Higher education (HE) providers are independent and autonomous institutions. The government does not compel participation in equality charters.However, it is essential that HE providers address disparities in pay or opportunity, where they may be based on race, disability, gender, or other protected characteristics. We want HE providers to address inequality with confidence, using their own judgement to address the real issues which restrict opportunity.The department expects HE providers, like all employers, to comply with their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and give due consideration to the way their employment practices affect different people from different communities and at different stages of their careers.

Further Education and Sixth Form Education: Per Capita Costs

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies 2021 annual report on education spending in England, published on 30 November 2021; and in particular, the finding that spending per pupil in further education colleges in 2024–25 will be around 10 per cent below 2010–11 levels, while spending per pupil in school-sixth form colleges will be 23 per cent below 2010–11 levels.

Baroness Barran: I refer the noble Lord to my answer of 17 December 2021 to Question HL4854. I can also now provide a further update on funding rates. On 17 December 2021, details were announced on how additional funding will be allocated in the 2022/23 academic year, including increasing the 16 to 19 national funding rate for students aged 16 and 17, and students aged 18 and over with high needs in band 5 from £4,188 to £4,542. The other funding rates and the rates for T Levels will also receive an increase.Additionally, there will be increases in the High Value Courses Premium from £400 to £600. The disadvantage block 2 and the block 1 rates for looked after children and care leavers will increase from £480 to £504, and the programme cost weightings will increase for the following 5 subject areas to better match the cost of delivery:medicine and dentistrynursing, and subjects and vocations allied to medicinetransportation operations and maintenancebuilding and constructionurban, rural, and regional planning

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: Albania

Lord Lansley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Albanian prisoners (1) have been returned to Albania from the UK to date, and (2) are expected to return in the rest of 2022.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: The Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service continue to remove foreign national offenders (FNOs) where routes are available. Between January 2019 and June 2021, 9,286 FNOs were removed from the UK.We are absolutely committed to removing FNOs from the UK and we continue to work closely with international governments to maximise the removal of serious and persistent offenders.We are regularly reviewing progress to ensure that all options are being pursued and that our early removal mechanisms are working as effectively as possible.A revised Prisoner Transfer Agreement (PTA) between the UK and Albania was signed in July 2021, replacing an earlier Agreement to allow for a wider adaptation of sentences to align the custodial periods on transfer. Both parties agreed at the time of signature not to specify exact numbers of returns, since a new Albanian government due to be formed in September 2021. We have not had any formal requests to enter into discussions with the new administration.To date, 24 Albanian prisoners have been transferred to serve their prison sentences in their home country.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

CCTV: China

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of Chinese-made surveillance cameras made by companies currently subject to US sanctions and investment bans (1) by local councils and other buildings in public ownership, and (2) by shopping precincts and in high streets.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government is committed to supporting UK businesses to engage with China in a way that reflects the UK's values and takes account of national security concerns. We have published guidance which provides firms with clear, up-to-date information and specialist support to help negotiate the ethical, legal and commercial questions they may encounter in China or when working with Chinese businesses, supporting safe and appropriate UK-China collaboration in the digital and technology space. In addition, the Government has introduced Overseas Business Risk guidance that makes it clear to UK businesses the need to consider the risks of exposure to entities that may be providing or developing surveillance technologies. The Government is also working to provide additional guidance for UK Government bodies to help them exclude suppliers where there is sufficient evidence of modern slavery violations in any of their supply chains. We continue to keep our policy position under review, working closely with our international partners.

Public Bodies: CCTV

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they have issued regarding local public bodies’ use of surveillance cameras and technology from (1) Dahua Technology, and (2) Hikvision.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government is committed to supporting UK businesses to engage with China in a way that reflects the UK's values and takes account of national security concerns. We have published guidance which provides firms with clear, up-to-date information and specialist support to help negotiate the ethical, legal and commercial questions they may encounter in China or when working with Chinese businesses, supporting safe and appropriate UK-China collaboration in the digital and technology space. In addition, the Government has introduced Overseas Business Risk guidance that makes it clear to UK businesses the need to consider the risks of exposure to entities that may be providing or developing surveillance technologies. The Government is also working to provide additional guidance for UK Government bodies to help them exclude suppliers where there is sufficient evidence of modern slavery violations in any of their supply chains. We continue to keep our policy position under review, working closely with our international partners.

Israel: Bedouin

Baroness Janke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they (1) have had, and (2) intend to have, with the government of Israel regarding the displacement of Bedouins from Negev land.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We continue to follow the debate around the issue of unresolved Bedouin land claims, unrecognised Bedouin villages in the Negev and lack of basic services. We continue to encourage the Israeli authorities and Bedouin communities to engage in dialogue to agree a satisfactory solution to the issue, respecting the rights of the people affected.

Iran and Turkey: Water Supply

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making, if any, to the governments of (1) Turkey, and (2) Iran, to regulate the flow of water into trans-frontier rivers at no less than the monthly average flow in recent years; and whether they will urge all states in the region to adopt the most efficient form of water use, particularly for crop irrigation.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has previously raised the humanitarian issue of water supplies with all relevant parties in the region. The UK encourages dialogue between Turkey and its geographical neighbours on all bilateral and regional issues.

Ethiopia: Cultural Heritage

The Earl of Dundee: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Ethiopia (1) to prevent, and (2) to punish, the vandalism and desecration of cultural heritage in that country.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are concerned by reports from Tigray on the damage to cultural monuments and artefacts. We have stressed the need for Ethiopia to safeguard its incredible diversity of faith and identity. Respect for cultural heritage is part of this, alongside freedom of expression and freedom of religion and belief.

Ethiopia: Humanitarian Aid

The Earl of Dundee: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplans they have to reduce and alleviate human suffering in Ethiopia; and in particular, in the Tigray region.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are deeply concerned by the worsening humanitarian crisis in northern Ethiopia. The conflict is causing appalling suffering to the civilian population, with over 400,000 people in Tigray now living in famine-like conditions and over 25 million in need of urgent humanitarian assistance across the country. The humanitarian response in Tigray is now at standstill owing to the de facto blockade of the region imposed by the Government of Ethiopia since July 2021 and also due to recent military action by Tigrayan Defence Forces along the Tigray-Afar border.We are working with our international partners and humanitarian agencies so that in the event that access is granted or when there is an easing of the blockade relief can be delivered to Tigray as quickly as possible. UK funding to the crisis in the north has included support to help strengthen humanitarian logistics, to improve the security of the response and to augment civil-military coordination. All parties to the conflict in the north must agree a ceasefire and allow aid to reach people in need.

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

The Earl of Dundee: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to assist the International Court of Justice to apply, where necessary, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; in particular, in Ethiopia and the Tigray region of that country.

The Earl of Dundee: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plansthey have to support the work of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts, established by the United Nations Human Rights Council, to conduct an investigation into allegations of violations and abuses committed in Ethiopia.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We remain deeply concerned about reports of human rights abuses and violations in Ethiopia. The Minister for Africa has raised our concerns about ethnically targeted arrests with Minister Redwan in Addis Ababa on 20 January. The protection of all civilians needs to be prioritised, human rights respected and those responsible for human rights abuses and violations held to account. At a special session of the Human Rights Council on 17 December 2021, we backed a resolution that created an International Commission of Experts to investigate allegations of violations in Ethiopia. We urge all parties to engage with this Commission and allow full access to witnesses and sites of concern.

Albania: Prisons

Lord Lansley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support they plan to provide, if any, to the Albanian prison system; and under what circumstances such funding will be provided.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: HMG is not providing any funding to the Albanian prison system at present. We have no specific plans to provide financial support to the Albanian prison system, although we continue to scope out possibilities for collaboration in areas of shared interest and benefit, including assisting reform of the Albanian justice system.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food Supply: Codes of Practice

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their timetable for introducing the sector-specific codes on fair dealing in the food supply chain as set out in the Agriculture Act 2020.

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent small farmers being pressured into signing unfair food supply deals by large supermarkets.

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stakeholders they intend to involve when drawing up the new fair dealing Codes of Practice provided for in the Agriculture Act 2020; and in what ways those stakeholders will be involved.

Lord Benyon: The Government is committed to tackling the unfairness that can exist in the agri-food supply chain. Powers in the Agriculture Act allow us to introduce statutory codes of conduct which increase the transparency of business relationships and protect farmers from imbalanced commercial terms. We intend to use these powers in a targeted way where there is clear evidence of unfair practices in specific agricultural sectors and statutory codes will help address the issues.A public consultation exploring the dairy supply chain was carried out in June 2020 and we are in the process of developing regulations which we intend to introduce later this year. In the coming months we are also launching a public consultation exploring how fairness and transparency can be improved in the pork sector.The Government will continue to work closely with all sectors to discuss any supply chain issues and any regulations will be developed alongside industry with the close involvement of stakeholders.

Nappies: Recycling

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish a newlife cycle assessment of nappies to replace the 2008 Life Cycle Assessment.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Defra-funded environmental assessment of washable and disposable nappies is nearing completion. Peer review is expected to commence shortly and we aim to publish the research in the spring.

Marine Environment: North Yorkshire

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 31 January (HL5420), and further to the research by Tim Deere-Jones reported in the Guardian article 'Study links crab deaths and dog illness to dredging for Teesside freeport', published on 7 February, what further assessment they plan to make of a potential link between the mass loss of sea-life around the North Yorkshire coast and reports of the ill-health of dogs which have walked in the sea and on the seashore.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency have been in touch with the University of Liverpool Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET) which has been investigating the increase in reports of vomiting and diarrhoea (V&D) in dogs in the Northeast of England. Investigations continue, but so far SAVSNET has reported a seasonal increase across England in V&D commonly seen each year in dogs, with an exceptional peak in NE Yorkshire. There is some positive association with canine enteric coronavirus and no link to walking on the beach for the majority of cases. While it cannot definitively point to a common cause, SAVSNET does suggest this is a transmissible infection rather than contact with the beach area or sea water. Canine enteric coronavirus is an alpha-coronavirus and is not related to beta-coronavirus which causes COVID-19. The dogs recover after a few days, although some may require supportive care from their vet. SAVSNET stated on 3 February: “Between 29th and 31st January 2022 we had details of 208 cases submitted by vets and owners. The most common clinical signs reported were inappetence, and vomiting and diarrhoea both without blood. The majority (79%) of dogs had NOT visited the beach prior to becoming ill and many cases were reported inland (away from the coast). The vast majority of cases (94%) had been vaccinated in the last three years. The majority (56) of the 88 owners who had more than one dog reported that other dogs in the household had also shown similar signs possibly suggesting in infectious cause. The majority of dogs seem to recover within 7-14 days, although over 60% required treatment of some form. No underlying cause was reported and so the aetiology of this outbreak is still unknown.” SAVSNET is continuing with its investigation and we continue to keep this under consideration.

Home Office

Asylum: Afghanistan

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Afghans already evacuated from their country will be required to apply for asylum and protection; what length of leave to remain they will be granted; and whether this will vary according to individual circumstances.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The majority of those who entered the UK during the evacuation phase were granted limited leave to enter, usually for 6 months, with access to public funds and employment. This status is not a bar to them being permanently housed or to starting their life in the UK, including taking employment.The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) commenced on 6th January. The ACRS will provide up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK.Those resettled through ACRS and ARAP will receive fee-free Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK. No one will be required to leave the UK, or be disadvantaged in any way, while we work through their cases.

CCTV

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use by police forces in England and Wales of Chinese-made surveillance cameras made by companies currently subject to US sanctions and investment bans.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The use of surveillance cameras is an operational matter for the police and the Government has therefore not assessed it.The FCDO and Cabinet Office will issue guidance to enable buyers to more effectively exercise their discretion to exclude suppliers linked with modern slavery and human rights violations. The Public Procurement Bill will further strengthen the ability of public sector bodies to disqualify suppliers from bidding for contracts where they have a history of misconduct, including forced labour or modern slavery.

Road Traffic Offences: Insurance

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of uninsured motor vehicles on UK roads; what they are doing to support police in removing uninsured vehicles from the roads; and what other measures they have considered to reduce this crime, including the use of automatic number plate recognition at petrol stations.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: There are an estimated one million uninsured motor vehicles on UK roads each day.Operation Tutelage is a national policing initiative where police forces issue advisory letters to drivers who appear to have no motor insurance. The letter encourages the registered keeper to identify if there is a problem with the insurance for the vehicle, and to put things right. The initiative which is led by the NPCC and supported by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB), was introduced in January 2020 to help reduce uninsured driving levels across the UK.The Government has established a Roads Policing Review (RPR), consisting of the Department for Transport, Home Office and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, to understand what can be done better to tackle road crime and improve roads safety. The review brings together partners from several agencies including the DVLA, DVSA, and Highways England and is the most comprehensive examination of roads policing ever conducted.The Government will continue to support the police to ensure that they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation. This includes the continued investment in ANPR technology to tackle crime.

Computer Misuse Act 1990

Baroness Neville-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Home Office will publish their response to the Call for Information on the Computer Misuse Act 1990, which ran from 11 May to 8 June 2021.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Integrated Review committed the UK to fortifying its position as a world-leading and responsible cyber power, taking a new, full spectrum approach to the UK’s cyber capability through keeping our people safe, staying ahead of our enemies and improving the lives of the British people. Robust domestic legislation is key to achieving this mission and whilst the Computer Misuse Act has proved to be an effective piece of legislation, we need to ensure that it remains able to tackle the ever-changing cyber threat. For this reason, the Home Secretary announced that the Government was to conduct a Call for Information, as part of a review of the Computer Misuse Act.  The Home Office is reviewing the proposals made during the Call for Information, and we will provide an update to Parliament in due course.

Immigration: Migrant Workers

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to assess their Points-Based System for skilled and qualified migrant workers, so as to give extra points to those having close relatives already lawfully resident in the UK.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We regularly review the Points-Based System to ensure it continues to meet the UK’s interests and to attract the best and brightest from around the world but will not be making the change suggested. Adding points for having close relatives in the UK would undermine the intentions of this route as one focussed on employment and providing labour needed in the economy.There are separate migration routes which those seeking to join family members in the UK can consider.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Housing: Construction

Lord Cameron of Dillington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the delay to building new houses caused by uncertainty about how to mitigate against the production of phosphate and nitrate nutrients; and what steps they are taking, if any, to tackle this issue.

Lord Greenhalgh: We have not made an assessment of the duration of delays to new development caused by uncertainty over nutrient mitigation. The Government is committed to delivering the homes this country needs and is striving to level up all parts of the country. The Minister for Housing and Minister for the Environment co-chair the nutrients taskforce which draws on input across government including Natural England and the Environment Agency. This taskforce works to ensure a clear action plan is in place, focusing on solutions for supporting housebuilding to resume without compromising the condition of Protected Sites. This includes work with water companies and regulators, who have an important role to play to tackle nutrient pollution and support the building of new and sustainable developments. As set out in ‘The Benefits of Brexit’ we are also considering how habitats regulations could be amended to help address problems with nutrient pollution.

Housing: Older People

Lord Blunkett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their White Paper Levelling up the United Kingdom, published on 2 February, when they plan to formally launch the Task Force investigating housing for older people; and what the remit of that Task Force will be.

Lord Greenhalgh: The new taskforce, as announced in the Levelling Up White Paper, will look at ways better choice, quality and security of housing for older people can be provided, including how to address regional disparities in supply of appropriate and where necessary specialised housing.Further details of the taskforce including its remit, will be confirmed in due course.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

Lord Young of Cookham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement on building safety by the Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 10 January (HC Deb col 288), whether leaseholders who are buy-to-let landlords will be covered by the "protection for leaseholders" referred to.

Lord Greenhalgh: As set out in our statement to Parliament on Building Safety on 10 January 2022, building owners and industry should make buildings safe without passing on costs to leaseholders, and leaseholders living in their own medium rise buildings should not pay a penny to remediate historic cladding defects that are no fault of their own. We have clarified that we have no intention of excluding leaseholders who have moved out and sublet from the protections that will be in place (including those in shared ownership) for buildings below 18 metres in England. We will explore whether this support should extend to other leaseholders, such as buy-to-let landlords.

Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004

Lord Stunell: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish the next biennial report to Parliament required by Section 6 of the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004.

Lord Greenhalgh: Since the last parliamentary report, the Government has made significant progress in improving the environmental sustainability of the built environment. In December 2021, the Government implemented an uplift to Part L (conservation of fuel and power) of the Building Regulations that delivers a meaningful reduction in carbon emissions and marks an important step on our journey towards a cleaner, greener built environment.The Heat and Buildings Strategy sets out the further steps we will take to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and decarbonise heating, including a Future Homes Standard in 2025, and the Net Zero Strategy has set out our vision for a decarbonised economy in 2050.We will publish, in due course, a new report setting out the details of these changes to the Building Regulations and all other matters set out in Section 6 of the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004.

Treasury

Money Laundering

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the court judgment in R (The Financial Conduct Authority) V National Westminster Bank Plc on 13 December 2021, what plans they have to introduce legislation to enable clawback of remuneration from directors of entities found guilty of money laundering.

Baroness Penn: The Government does not intend to introduce legislation to enable claw back of remuneration from directors of entities found guilty of money laundering. This is because the UK financial services regulators – the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) – jointly set requirements for firms, including National Westminster Bank Plc, regarding the claw back of promised, or paid, remuneration. Under these requirements, where misconduct or material poor performance occurs - including for anti-money laundering controls failings - firms would need to consider whether promised or paid remuneration can be justified, or should be returned (“clawed back”) for senior and materially risk-taking staff. The regulators have supervisory and enforcement tools to deploy in cases where they are not satisfied that a firm has complied with their rules. The FCA’s successful prosecution of NatWest Plc in 2021 represents the first criminal prosecution brought by the FCA against a bank under the Money Laundering Regulations, and demonstrates the FCA’s commitment to using the full range of powers available to tackle anti-money laundering failings.

Monetary Policy

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Bank of England regarding the reversal of its quantitative easing programme

Baroness Penn: Monetary policy is the responsibility of the independent Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England and this includes decisions on quantitative easing.As set out in the letter exchange between the Chancellor and Governor on 3 February 2022, the Government indemnifies the Bank of England’s Asset Purchase Facility, the vehicle that delivers quantitative easing. As part of this, there are oversight arrangements in place, including regular risk oversight meetings between Treasury and Bank senior officials which monitor the scheme’s implementation and risks to the Exchequer.The Governor set out in his letter exchange with the Chancellor that, were asset sales judged to be appropriate, the Bank would liaise with the DMO in order to minimise interference with the DMO's own issuance programme, and would consider the views of market participants as to how best to minimise disruption in private asset markets.

Financial Markets: Regulation

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reform theMiFID II market rules to help encourage analyst research for companies.

Baroness Penn: The MiFID II rules relating to research are set out in the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)’s rules. They came into force in January 2018. The FCA judge that these rules have brought benefits to end-investors by lowering charges and increasing the quality of execution services. However, the FCA also identified specific negative impacts for research on small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In December 2021 the FCA announced that they would change their rules to address this, by allowing investment firms to bundle brokerage and research fees for SMEs with a market capitalisation of below £200 million. More broadly, the Government is reforming the MiFID II framework through its Wholesale Markets Review to deliver a framework that is fair, outcomes-based and supports openness and competitiveness, whilst maintaining the highest regulatory standards.

Red Diesel: Northern Ireland Protocol

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byBaroness Penn on 7 February (HL5670 and HL5671), what assessment they have made of the impact of theProtocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland on the levels of smuggling of red diesel across the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Baroness Penn: The Government has not made such an assessment. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) produces an annual estimate of the tax gap across all taxes and duties administered by HMRC. This is the difference between the amount of tax that should in theory be collected, and what is actually paid. In HMRC’s latest report, the Northern Ireland diesel illicit market share is estimated at 4% in 2019 to 2020. This resulted in an estimated loss of £20 million in duty and a further £10 million in VAT, giving a total loss of £30 million. These estimates cannot be disaggregated by type of fraud such as smuggling. HMRC continues to work in partnership with other enforcement agencies including the Revenue Commissioners in Ireland to tackle this risk. This extensive multi-agency, cross border cooperation is a key element of HMRC’s operational response and commitment to tackling fuel duty fraud.